Cloud-based medical information sharing system to come on line

A cloud-based health care information system that will make it easier for doctors from different hospitals to access a patient’s records will be inaugurated in November, Department of Health (DOH) Minister Chiu Wen-ta said over the weekend. More than 100 hospitals around Taiwan are expected to join the cloud-based system, which will store patients’ diagnostic information, test records, such as medical imaging tests, and prescription records, Chiu said. Over the past decade, many local hospitals have computerized patients’ medical records, but their digitized systems tend to vary, making it difficult for them to share relevant medical information, Chiu said. The imminent launch of the cloud-based system will facilitate medical information sharing and patient referrals, Chiu said. Moreover, he noted, patients’ privacy can be better protected because the new system will be complemented with electronic signature and encryption technologies. On concerns that the medical information of individual patients might be leaked or could be accessed by hackers, Chiu said the new data bank would have some limits on the information stored.